Papers are due by Saturday, June 27th by 11:59am (EST)

FCE 225 Personal Development Project

Purpose The personal development project is designed to challenge students to explore the developmental forces that shape life experience and to experientially examine the potential for people to shape their own development in the college years and beyond. Activities Students participation in experiential activities will serve as the foundation for this project. To focus explorations, experiential activities will be broken into three distinct categories: past, present, and future contexts. Students must pick and complete one activity from one of these three categories. Although the specifics of the activities chosen may vary considerably across students, each must: 1. be consciously chosen, in advance, for this class project. 2. represent some type of meaningful choice or personal challenge for the individual. Students may complete any of the activities listed on the next page. Any alternate activity to be used for this project must be approved by the instructor prior to the activity. Students may complete these activities in groups or with a partner but must complete their final reports independently. Due Date Papers are due on Saturday, June 27th by 11:59am Eastern Standard Time. No late projects will be accepted (i.e. you will receive a zero on the late assignment). If you are unable to turn in your assignment on time due to a major personal crisis and wish the due date to be extended, please e-mail your instructor prior to the due date. All excuses must be verifiable. In any case, no more than five days of extension will be allowed. You must submit your PDP in the appropriate ANGEL drop box at anytime up until the due date. When you submit your paper, please use the following format to name your document as well as to title it in ANGEL drop box: LastnameFirstnamePDP. No file name can be longer than 50 spaces. Please try to use the Microsoft Word (.doc) format although Rich Text Format (.rtf) will be accepted as well. An example of a file name would be: SaltarelliAndyPDP.doc. You can also upload any digital documentation you may have from the activity (see below) if it is not included in your paper. Format of Final Product The final product will consist of two separate sections. The first section will consist of a first person report about the activitie(s) completed for the project. The second will consist of a longer personal reflection essay about lessons gained from the experience. Each respective section should be about 1-2 pages typed, 11 or 12 point font, double-spaced. I. First Person Report (1-2 pages): Although the format may vary, all of the reports should be written as first person accounts and must include the following information: 1. Visual documentation or evidence of your activity. This proof may include, but is not limited to, photos, printed programs, advertisements, signed note from person leading activity, etc.. Quality documentation - plan ahead! 2. A description of the activity - what you chose to do and which category it belongs to. - a sentence or two with the factual details of what, when, where, who with, etc. 3. An explanation for why this activity was chosen and how it represents an opportunity for growth. - a clear paragraph justifying choice 4. A narrative description of how you experienced this activity from the beginning (e.g., when deciding) to the end (e.g., how people responded later when they found out). - a longer paragraph, several short paragraphs, or a collection of journal type entries details matter!

II. Personal Reflection Essay (1-2 pages): 1. A personal reflection essay on what you got out of the overall experience as it relates to course concepts and principles. An essay in which course concepts are not used and appropriately applied will almost certainly receive a low score. A few helpful questions to get you started (you will want to cover more in your essay): (1) What have you learned about what you can do to practically shape your own development in college and beyond? (2) What has your experience taught you about the development context (past, present, or future) you explored? (3) Which course concepts can be applied to help you understand and/or apply lessons learned through this experience to your own development? Evaluation Criteria for First Person Report: (30 points possible) Appropriate activities? Report complete? Documentation clear? Evidence of effort/creativity/thought? Criteria for Essay: (40 points possible) Each question addressed? Relevant course concepts applied? College level writing skills? Evidence of reflection?

Activity Categories and Approved Ideas

I. Past Developmental Context Interview a parent about what you were really like across early childhood, visit an old hometown, email 10 people close to you who have known you for a long time and ask them to write an honest statement about how they see you as a person (including strengths and weaknesses), review old family albums with a grandparent and ask about your family history, gather research/construct your family tree, interview an old (as in someone who had you as a student in the past) teacher that knows you well and ask them what they thought were/are your strengths and weaknesses both personally and academically II. Current Development Context Attend a community event that you wouldnt normally go to, visit several club or special interest groups you would consider joining, participate in volunteer activity, keep a dream diary for two weeks (or until you get entries for 10 nights), do a dramatic physical make-over (no tattoos or extreme piercing please), visit two churches from different traditions, visit roommates/friends home in rural/urban setting different than where you grew up, give up TV/video games/Facebook for 2-4 weeks, sign up for and get immersed in an online social networking technology (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) if this is not something you currently do, train for and run a 5K. III. Future Developmental Context Job shadow someone in a profession youre interested in, complete the BridgesChoices Planner interest assessment (accessed via http://careernetwork.msu.edu/specialResources/index.php?), visit a nursing home or assisted living facility, interview a grandparent about what its like to be a grandparent or to be retired (e.g. what they expected, what was a surprise, whats the best thing about it), interview a parent about what it was like for them to have their first home mortgage (e.g. what was the process they had to go through, what were/are other costs involved in owning a home, what was it like knowing that their children were totally dependent on them to provide food, clothing and shelter)

Students are not limited to these options only. Other possibilities for this assignment may be negotiated in advance with the instructor or classroom assistant. What is appropriate for each student may vary it is up to the student to explain why the activity was chosen to be meaningful or as a stretch! All activities must be legal and safe.